Students witness shooting of teen outside middle school in Sandy

Kalani Matthews, 17, right, and his friends gather around Rachel Otteson as they try to see photos of the Union Middle School shooting suspect, found on the Internet in West Valley City, Tuesday. A 16-year-old boy was shot twice and critically wounded by another teenager Tuesday afternoon when the two got into argument outside the middle school in a Salt Lake City suburb, authorities said. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dozens of students at a middle school in a Salt Lake City suburb witnessed a shooting in which a 16-year-old boy was critically wounded by another teenager during an argument, police said.

Kalani Matthews, 17, right, gets a hug from Dusti Rowland, 16, across the street from Union Middle School in Sandy after a shooting Tuesday. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school, police said. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger.The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

The shooting outside Union Middle School in Sandy occurred just as students were leaving school for the day about 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger said.

Police arrested a 14-year-old who they believe was the shooter, Carriger said.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital and is in critical condition, Carriger said. He was in surgery Tuesday evening. Nobody else was hurt.

Hillcrest High School student Jasen Trotter told the Deseret News that he saw the fight between the two boys from about 15 feet away. The teens appear to have planned their encounter beforehand and met shortly after the school day ended, Trotter told the newspaper.

Trotter said one of the boys unexpectedly pulled out a gun, shot the victim and then shot him again while he was on the ground.

“It just happened so fast,” Trotter said.

He said that the alleged shooter, who Trotter noted was one of his friends, fell to the ground crying after the shots were fired.

Detectives were interviewing students to determine what led to the argument and why the suspect shot the other.

The school, about 15 miles south of Salt Lake City, was briefly put on lockdown.

The suspected shooter is a student at the middle school. The victim is not, Carriger said.

Detectives are trying to find out if the suspect had the gun during school or if he got it after school.

Written by The Associated Press.

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Jasen Trotter, left, who said he witnessed the shooting, walks with his father Bradley after a 16-tear-old boy was shot in argument near Union Middle School in Sandy, Tuesday. Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger said the victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital and is in critical condition. Police arrested a 14-year-old who they believe was the shooter, said Carriger. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Scott G Winterton/Deseret News via AP, St. George News

Principal Kelly Tauteoli hugs a woman outside of Union Middle School after a shooting involving an argument between two juveniles took place outside of the school Tuesday. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Kristin Murphy/Deseret News via AP, St. George News

Kalani Matthews, 17, right, and his friends gather around Rachel Otteson as they try to see photos of the Union Middle School shooting suspect, found on the Internet in West Valley City, Tuesday. A 16-year-old boy was shot twice and critically wounded by another teenager Tuesday afternoon when the two got into argument outside the middle school in a Salt Lake City suburb, authorities said. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Police officers work the scene after a teen was shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy, Tuesday. A 16-year-old boy was shot twice and critically wounded by another teenager Tuesday afternoon when the two got into argument outside the middle school in a Salt Lake City suburb, authorities said. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Kalani Matthews, 17, center, sits with friends across the street from Union Middle School in Sandy, after a shooting Tuesday. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school, police said. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger.The victim was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Officials investigate the scene of a shooting outside Union Middle School in Sandy, Tuesday. Authorities say a boy has been shot by a classmate outside of the middle school in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Ravell Call/Deseret News via AP, St. George News

A woman wipes her eyes outside of Union Middle School in Sandy after a shooting involving an argument between two juveniles took place outside of the school on Tuesday. The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital. His condition was not immediately known. The suspected shooter is in police custody. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Kristin Murphy/Deseret News via AP, St. George News

Mason Lewis, 14, is comforted by a passerby after learning that his friend was shot outside Union Middle School in Sandy Tuesday. A 16-year-old boy was shot twice and critically wounded by another teenager Tuesday afternoon when the two got into argument outside the middle school in a Salt Lake City suburb, authorities said. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Kalani Matthews, 17, and friend watch from across the street from Union Middle School in Sandy, after a shooting Tuesday. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school, police said. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger.The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Kalani Matthews, 17, right, gets a hug from Dusti Rowland, 16, across the street from Union Middle School in Sandy after a shooting Tuesday. Matthews said it was his brother that was injured in the shooting. A 16-year-old boy was critically injured after being shot outside Union Middle School by a 14-year-old, who is a student at the middle school, police said. The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger.The shooting occurred about 3 p.m. when two teenage boys got into an argument on a field north of the school, said Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger. The victim was transported by ambulance in critical condition to Intermountain Medical Center, where he went into surgery. The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. Sandy, Utah, Oct. 25, 2016 | Photo by Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, St. George News

Oh I can’t wait 2 get the real story from the Amazing Bob ! only the Amazing Bob knows what really happened. so don’t bother reading the article because the Amazing Bob and his conspiracy theory tin foil hat will be here soon 2 let you know what really happened. .